Roller-knife



W. WEBER.

ROLLER KNIFE.

(No Model.)

Patented Mar.15, 1887'.

mwmiw JVV'ENTOR Attorneys,

WITNESSES n. Pains. Phmolimqgnpbflr, Washington. a c

U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM WEBER, or EvANs vILLE, INDIANA.

ROLLER- KNlFE. v

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 359,480, dated March 15, 1887.

Application filed December 20,1886. Serial No. 222,037. (No model.) 7

T0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I,\VILLIAM WEBER, a citi- -zen of the United States, residing at Evansville, in the county of Vanderburg and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Roller-Knives, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying draw- Ings.

This invention is an article of manufacture to be used by druggists in cutting leaves,herbs, flowers, &c., into small pieces, as also to be used as a kitchen implement for cutting up vegetables, meats, 8w.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and on which similar letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding features, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved roller-cutter, and Fig. 2 an axial sectional view of the same.

The letter A designates a metallic shaft or arbor of two diameters, upon the portion B of which is slipped or fitted a series of circular blades, beveled from opposite sides to form sharp edges, and between these blades is placed a like series .of spools or collars, 0, preferably of wood, which serve to space the said blades.

The portion B of the arbor at one end is provided with a collar or shoulder, D, and at the other with a screw-threaded portion, E, upon which is secured a binding-nut, F. The portion B of the arbor'being larger than the end portions admits of the nutF being slipped over the smaller portion, so as to be engaged with the threads E. The nut F binds against one of the blades, and that blade against the adj aoent collar, and said collar against the next blade,and so on throughout the series until the last blade is resisted by the collar D, whereby all the blades are firmly secured. As a result the arbor revolves with the blades when thelatter are pressed upon the material which itis desired to cut up. The handles Gare therefore loosely mountedon the end portions of the arbor, and these portions of the arbor are shouldered at H and threaded at I to receive a nut, J, and a washer, K. The washers fit against the shoulders H, and therefore bind against the ends of the handles, but merely prevent the displacement of the handles, leav- :ing the handles free to rotate.

I have used this device in connection with my occupation as a druggist, and find it very useful in reducing leaves, herbs, flowers, 8270., to a fine or chopped condition for the purpose of making drugs. As a culinary instrument it is also useful in slicing vegetables and mangling meat.

The blades are made of steel, the handles of wood, and the shaft of iron, and the collars of wood or metal, but preferably of the former, in that it is cheaper, and the number of blades may be increased at pleasure, and the diameter varied to suit the purposes for which the instrument is to be used. In cutting the larger herbs or roots it is desirable to have the cutting-blades of larger diameter, so as to more rapidly roll over and upon and into the same, because if the blades are small as compared to the herbs or roots the latter slide away from the blades more or less, and have to be held to the actionof the blades.

For druggists purposes blades four inches in diameter are found to be the proper size, while for culinary purposes the rollercntters may be made cheaper by saving the material in making the blades of less diameter.

It has been found in practice that where the handles are rigidly mountedg and the knives allowed to rotate independently of each other, they often become clogged upon the shaft and refuse to turn,and as the shaft itself does not turn within the handles it results that one portion of the knife has to perform all the work. It is to overcome this difficulty that is the object of myinvention; and I do not wish to be understood as laying claim to any such construction as above set forth.

dependent upon the rotation of the shaft or arbor, and I mount the handles loosely onthe smaller portions of the arbor. In this way by pushing the cutter forward and backward the shaft revolves within the handles and the knives are compelled to rotate. Moreover, the revolution of the handles upon the shaft reir ders the cutting much easier than when they are rigidly mounted,as in the former case they can be grasped firmly in the hands, and a much greater pressurecan be brought upon the knives.

What I claim is-- As an improved article of manufacture, a roller-cutter consisting of an arbor of two di- In my in- 'vention I mount the knives so that they are ameters, aseries of stout circular blades havmounted upon the smaller portions of the aring tapering peripheries, mounted upon the bor, and said portions being shouldered and larger diameter of the arbor, so as to rotate screw-threaded and having washers and nuts, only with the rotation of the arbor, a series substantially as described.

5 of collars placed between said blades, a shoul- In testimony whereof I affix my signature in r 5 der at one end of the larger diameter of the presence of two witnesses. arbor, and a handle which bears against it, \VILLIAM XVEBER. screw-threads at the other end, and a nut ap- Vitnesses: plied to the said threads, and a handle that CHARLES LAVEL,

IC bears against it, the said handles being loosely H. H. SIEFFERI. 

